Water stored in Blackfoot Reservoir is used to irrigate lands on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and other lands in the vicinity of Blackfoot, Idaho. Blackfoot Reservoir is managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Fort Hall. Blackfoot Reservoir Campground and 5 campgrounds along the Blackfoot Riverare managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Both BIA and BLM are agencies in the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Blackfoot Reservoir has a very good population of rainbow, cutthroat trout and carp. Its islands are home to pelicans, cormorants and gulls. Its waters are used by waterfowl, waterbirds and shorebirds.

Blackfoot Reservoir covers 18,000 surface acres when full, the second largest reservoir in southeastern Idaho. The main dam was built 55 feet high above the streambed. Blackfoot Reservoir has a usable storage capacity of 413,000 acre-feet at a design maximum water surface elevation of 6124’.

Bird Populations

Gull Island supports the largest nestingcolony (1400 nests in 2005) of American White Pelicans in Idaho. This island also supports one of the largest nesting colonies of Double-crested Cormorants (300+ nests) and California Gulls (6,000+ nests) in the state. An active Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, and Snowy Egret rookerycan be found here as well. The reservoir itself is also used by waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds during the summer, and possibly migration.

Fish in the Reservoir

Blackfoot Reservoir has has a very good population of rainbow and cutthroat trout up to about five pounds. The fish work the surface when the lake is smooth, usually early in the morning and late in the evening when the wind is calm. You will also discover an excellent population of giant Carp! The carp move into the shallow bays and mud flats to feed and can often be seen tailing.

In 1990, the Idaho Fish & Game instituted trophy regulations on the lake to protect the wild cutthroat. The regulations set possession limits and state that all wild Cutthroat trout must be released.